NHL Player News

Backlund scored a goal on two shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Flyers.

Backlund ended 2025 on a high note, racking up five goals and four assists during a six-game point streak. The 36-year-old center opened the scoring at 13:30 of the first period. He's having a strong year, but it would be a lot to ask of him to stay on a 50-point pace in the second half. He's at 10 goals, 25 points, 94 shots on net and a plus-16 rating over 40 appearances this season, but his 10.6 shooting percentage is his highest since 2016-17.

Huberdeau scored a goal in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Flyers.

Huberdeau put up four goals and four assists over 13 outings in December. The 32-year-old's tally Wednesday was the game-winner, ending a three-game slump. He's up to eight goals, 20 points, 54 shots on net, 24 blocked shots, 22 hits, 35 PIM and a minus-1 rating through 35 appearances. He's on pace to miss the 50-point mark for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign, when he was limited to 31 games.

Zary scored a goal and added a power-play assist in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Flyers.

Zary was listed in a top-six role but frequently bounced between there and the fourth line, which is the unit he was on when he scored his goal. The 24-year-old has two goals and five helpers over his last seven outings, but he still doesn't appear to have the full trust of head coach Ryan Huska. For the season, Zary's at six goals, 13 points (three on the power play), 48 shots on net, 25 hits and a minus-2 rating over 38 appearances.

Nelson scored a power-play goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Blues.

The helper was the 300th of Nelson's career. He's earned four goals and five assists over his last seven outings, a span that includes four power-play points. For the season, the veteran center is up to 16 goals, 30 points (seven on the power play), 76 shots on net, 32 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating through 39 appearances in a second-line role.

MacKinnon scored twice on seven shots, added two assists and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Blues.

MacKinnon netted both goals in the first period and then helped out on Brock Nelson's power-play tally in the second and Valeri Nichushkin's hat-trick clincher in the third. With four goals and five assists over his last three games, MacKinnon is as locked in as ever. The superstar center reached the 70-point mark with this effort, surpassing his 2024-25 regular-season goal total to sit at 34 goals and 36 helpers through 39 appearances heading into 2026. He's added 180 shots on net, a plus-51 rating, 32 hits and 22 blocked shots.

Brindley (upper body) tweaked something in Wednesday's game versus the Blues and will be evaluated Thursday, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.

It's not exactly clear when Brindley sustained the injury, but he can be considered day-to-day for now. The Avalanche have a back-to-back ahead, visiting the Hurricanes on Saturday and the Panthers on Sunday. Joel Kiviranta (lower body) is also ailing, so the Avalanche may need to make a roster move to replenish their forward depth before their three-game road trip.

Mueller scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Abbotsford's 5-2 win over Manitoba on Wednesday.

Mueller ended a five-game slump with the effort. That dry spell was his longest since he opened the season with seven scoreless outings. Mueller's lack of consistency will keep him from being a strong call-up candidate. He has 11 points and a minus-16 rating through 25 appearances this season.

Robidas scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Chicago's 3-2 win over Rockford on Wednesday.

Robidas had gone two contests without a point following a five-game point streak, but this was another big effort for the forward. For the Wolves this season, he has 11 goals and 12 assists over 25 appearances. He's earned one call-up to the Hurricanes and continues to play well enough to get more.

Kozak (upper body) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Stars, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

Kozak will miss his sixth straight game. The 23-year-old has practiced with the Sabres this week, so it's safe to assume he's still in the day-to-day range without a clear update from the team. His next chance to play is Saturday versus the Blue Jackets.

Eichel (lower body) will join the Golden Knights on their three-game road trip, which begins Friday in St. Louis, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear yet if Eichel will play, but it's a positive sign that he'll travel. He missed his seventh consecutive game Wednesday versus the Predators. After Friday, the Golden Knights visit the Blackhawks on Sunday and the Jets on Tuesday.